Jul 2026· Evidence Based Health Policy, Management and Economics· 0 citations
TL;DR
Findings suggest that integrating EBM longitudinally across training, embedding teaching within authentic clinical scenarios, investing in faculty development, and aligning assessments with competency-based frameworks may strengthen skill retention and practice transfer.
Abstract
Introduction: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a foundational competency for medical trainees and a core principle of contemporary clinical practice. Medical schools increasingly integrate EBM teaching across pre-clerkship and clerkship training, yet substantial variability remains in curricular structure, pedagogy, assessment approaches, and real-world learning transfer. This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on EBM education for medical students, with attention to curriculum models, teaching strategies, learner outcomes, and implementation challenges.
Materials and Methods: Following the PRISMA-ScR framework, the authors systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, PsycINFO, and Scopus from inception to July 2025. Eligible studies described EBM-related teaching, curricula, or assessment in undergraduate medical education. Also, data were extracted on study characteristics, pedagogical methods, EBM competencies targeted, outcomes (knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours), and reported barriers and facilitators.
Results: Twenty-seven studies were included, representing diverse geographic contexts and spanning pre-clinical and clinical training. Curricula commonly target question formulation, literature searching, critical appraisal, and application of evidence to patient care. Four themes emerged: 1) heterogeneity in curriculum design and competency frameworks, 2) active learning and clinically integrated teaching as key drivers of engagement, 3) assessment challenges and inconsistent outcome measurement, and 4) implementation barriers including faculty expertise, time constraints, and hidden curriculum influences. Most studies reported improved EBM knowledge and self-efficacy, while fewer demonstrated sustained skill retention or changes in clinical behavior. Programs that embedded EBM longitudinally within clinical contexts and used structured appraisal tools appeared more likely to report meaningful learner engagement.
Conclusion: EBM education for medical students is widely implemented but variably delivered and assessed. Evidence supports active, clinically contextualized approaches, yet robust evaluation of long-term outcomes and standardized assessment tools remains limited. For educational planners and instructors, findings suggest that integrating EBM longitudinally across training, embedding teaching within authentic clinical scenarios, investing in faculty development, and aligning assessments with competency-based frameworks may strengthen skill retention and practice transfer. Future work should prioritize longitudinal curricula, faculty development, and harmonized competency-based evaluation.
Structured, longitudinal RaT programs are needed, particularly in under-researched healthcare systems, where unique cultural, institutional, and workforce characteristics call for locally developed approaches.
Lateefa Mohamed AlMarzooqi, N. Goswami· BMC Medical Education· 1 citation
Background: Distributed medical education is central to Canadian medical training and prepares physicians to serve diverse communities. With seventeen regional campuses nationwide, ensuring consistent acquisition of core competencies in evidence-based medicine (EBM) is important. Although accreditation bodies emphasize skills in critical appraisal and evidence-based decision-making, there is no standardized national framework that guides EBM curriculum development. Regional campuses face additional challenges in EBM teaching that have yet to be characterized.
Objective: The aim of this study is to identify key barriers impacting EBM implementation at regional campuses and propose ways to address these challenges.
Methods: In December 2025, a 22-item online survey was distributed to directors at regional medical campuses across Canada. The survey addressed several elements of EBM education, including curriculum content, teaching hours, timing within the curriculum, teaching modalities used, and assessment strategies. Respondents also identified institutional supports and challenges impacting EBM delivery.
Results: By February 27, 2026, ten of seventeen Canadian regional campuses completed the survey. This presentation will summarize descriptive findings from regional campuses and compare them to results from a companion survey conducted at main campuses by the same research team. Comparative analysis will examine similarities and differences in curriculum structure, scholarly expectations, and faculty support, with a focus on barriers that impact the delivery of EBM curriculum at regional campuses. These findings will also highlight the innovative approaches that regional campuses have implemented to promote local scholarship and address challenges to EBM teaching.
Conclusions: This survey will inform curriculum development at McMaster University and support national efforts to align EBM competencies across distributed education sites, including the Niagara Regional Campus. By strengthening EBM instruction, medical schools can foster equitable training environments and prepare physicians for evidence-informed clinical practice.
Omar Hossain, Katarina R. Iacobucci, L. Chambers et al.· McMaster University Medical...· 0 citations
Clinical teaching and learning are essential components of undergraduate medical education, enabling students to develop clinical knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours. This narrative review aimed to examine the factors influencing clinical teaching and learning in undergraduate medical education programmes. A literature search was conducted in PubMed using the keywords “Undergraduate Medical Education”, “Students’ Learning Environment”, “Factors Affecting Teaching and Learning”, and “Impact of Clinical Teaching/Learning”. Fifteen articles published between 2003 and 2024 met the inclusion criteria and were critically reviewed. The findings revealed that clinical learning is influenced by five key domains: teachers, students, the learning environment, organisational factors, and curriculum. Effective supervision, feedback, and role modelling by teachers enhanced learning, while student motivation and engagement contributed positively to educational outcomes. Supportive clinical environments, adequate organisational resources, and the curriculum's structure further facilitated learning. Addressing these interconnected factors is essential to improving the quality and effectiveness of clinical education in undergraduate medical programmes.
M. Sivanjali, A. Arulpragasam· Batticaloa Medical Journal· 0 citations
Recent advances in medical education emphasize competency-based education (CBE) as a strategic response to the limitations of traditional time-based curricula. This is particularly relevant in surgical education, where mastery of procedural skills, clinical reasoning, and intraoperative decision-making are essential for patient safety and professional competence. Curriculum reform within surgical training programs has become imperative to align learning outcomes with evolving healthcare demands and to ensure graduates are both competent and confident in real-world settings. This study investigates the integration of CBE principles into the undergraduate surgical curriculum through a mixed-methods approach involving curriculum analysis, faculty interviews, and evaluation of pilot modules incorporating simulation-based learning and structured clinical assessments. The research identifies key benefits of CBE, including learner-centered progression, improved feedback mechanisms, and enhanced readiness for clinical responsibilities. It also explores implementation challenges such as faculty resistance, variability in assessment standards, and infrastructure limitations. Using case-based data from a pilot CBE module in a surgical education setting, this paper presents strategies for curriculum alignment, competency mapping, and effective assessment tool utilization. Innovations highlighted include the use of digital portfolios, entrustable professional activities (EPAs), and real-time feedback systems supported by educational technology. Findings suggest that while CBE offers substantial pedagogical advantages, its successful adoption requires institutional commitment, continuous faculty development, and iterative evaluation. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting competency-based reform in surgical education and offers practical recommendations for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers committed to transforming medical training for future-ready healthcare professionals.
Agussalim· Innovations in Pedagogy and...· 0 citations
Background: Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) has transformed medical education by shifting the focus from time-based training to the progressive development of observable competencies. Within this framework, Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) have emerged as an effective strategy for translating competencies into authentic professional tasks that support learner assessment and progressive clinical autonomy. However, evidence regarding their implementation and educational impact remains fragmented. Objective: To analyze the scientific evidence on the use of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) in Competency-Based Medical Education, highlighting their educational contributions, implementation challenges, and implications for contemporary medical education. Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted following the principles of Evidence-Based Practice. The review question was developed using the PICo framework. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC for studies published between 2020 and 2026. Data were extracted using a standardized instrument, methodological quality was characterized according to the Joanna Briggs Institute Levels of Evidence, and findings were synthesized through interpretive thematic analysis. Results: The included studies demonstrated that EPAs have become a key framework for operationalizing CBME across undergraduate medical education, clerkships, residency training, and faculty development. EPAs strengthen performance-based assessment, clinical supervision, longitudinal feedback, and entrustment decisions related to learner progression. Nevertheless, successful implementation requires sustained faculty development, standardized assessment practices, curricular integration, and institutional support. Conclusions: EPAs represent a paradigm shift in medical education by aligning competency development with authentic clinical practice. Their integration into programmatic assessment, continuous feedback, and competency-based curricula can strengthen educational decision-making and support the preparation of competent, reflective physicians capable of meeting contemporary healthcare needs.
Rodolfo de Oliveira Medeiros, C. Galhardi, Viviane Canhizares Evangelista de Araújo et al.· Veredas do Direito· 0 citations
The evidence showed that, virtual reality simulations with varying immersive abilities were the most popular innovative educational technology used in undergraduate mental health nursing education and both immersive and non‐immersive VRS were equally effective in improving student learning experiences compared to traditional learning modalities.
Sini Jacob, Sebastian Samuel, Greety Antony et al.· International Journal of Men...· 0 citations
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